I don't see how properties trading hands back and forth and boardroom shenanigans is "aint abut RRing anymore". Such maneuvers have been part-and-parcel of the railroad world since day one. Arguably the most famous example is Villard's "blind pool".

Aiming for government or shipper funds is part of the territory. What made the situation a mess was CORP's hamfisted approach to it. They used a mallet to drive a penny nail, and hit their own thumb more than once.

But make no mistake. This is as much of what railroading is about as running trains ever was.